Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up too early and not be able to go back to sleep. This can lead to daytime fatigue, mood disturbances, and impaired functioning, affecting overall quality of life.
While insomnia can affect people of all ages, it is most prevalent among adults and tends to increase with age. It is mostly common in older adults, particularly women, and individuals with chronic health conditions.
Several factors can contribute to insomnia, including stress from work, school, health, or family-related issues; lifestyle factors such as irregular sleep schedules, lack of physical activity, and consumption of caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. Mental health disorders like anxiety and depression and even medical conditions such as chronic pain, asthma, diabetes, and heart disease all contribute to this sleep disorder. Other factors to consider can also include use of certain medications; environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures; and hormonal changes during a woman’s menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause.
Insomnia manifests through a variety of symptoms, including difficulty falling asleep at night, waking up during the night or too early, not feeling well-rested after a night’s sleep, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, irritability, depression, or anxiety, difficulty paying attention, focusing, or remembering, and increased errors or accidents.
There are two main types of insomnia: acute insomnia, which is short-term and lasts a few days to a few weeks, often triggered by stress or a traumatic event; and chronic insomnia, which is long-term and occurs at least three times a week for three months or longer, often associated with underlying conditions or habits.
At Online Sleep Doctors, we offer non-invasive treatment options to help you manage insomnia and even other sleep disorders, without the use of medication. It all begins with a comprehensive sleep study, which allows our team of board-certified sleep physicians to interpret your sleep patterns and provide personalized treatment options based on the results. Let us guide you towards better sleep and improved well-being.